The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-11-25
over .A. sootDo.rd, and horribly s.vour.t

Nor longer dare delay;
The wretch that scorns the mandate diea,
And meets nery day.
Again, we need believing heart A good
many years ago weary one went up one Of
tbs hills of Asia Minor, and with two logs on
his back cried out to all the world, offering
to carry their sins and sorrows. They purt
sued him. They slapped him in the face
They Knocked him. When he groaned they
groaned They shook their fists at him.
They spit on him. They bounded him a
though he were wild beast His healing OF
the sick, his sight giving to the blind, his
mercy to the outcast silenced not the revenge
of the world. His prayers and benedictions
were lost in that whirlwind Of execration,
Away with himls Away with himi
ALL it was not merely the two pieces Of
wood that he carried; it was the transgres-
sions Of the race, the anguish of the ages, the
wrath Of God, the SORROWS of hell, the stu
pendous interests of an unending eternity.
No wonder his back bent No wonder the
blood started from every pore. No wonder
that he crouched under q torture that made
the sun faint, and the everlasting hills trem-
BILE, and the dead rush up in their winding
sheets as he cried, "If it be possible, let this
cup pass from me-" But the cup did not pass.
None to comfort
There he hangsl What has that hand
done that it should be thus crushed in the
paint 1t has been healing the lame and
wiping away tears What has that foot been
doing that it should be so laceratedl 1t has
been going about doing good. OF what has
the victim been guilty7 Guilty of saving g
world. Tell me, ye heavens and earth, was
there ever such another criminall Was
there ever such crimel On that hill Of car
mage, that sunless day, amid those bowling
rioters, may not your sins and mine have
perishedl / believe it.
Oh, the ransom has been paid. Those arms
of Jesus were stretched out so wide that when
he brought them together again they might
embrace the world. Oh that might, out of
the blossoms of the spring, or the flaming
foliage of the autumn, make one wreath for
my LordI Oh, that ali the triumphal arches
Of the world could be swung in one gateway,
where the King of Glory might come inl
Oh, that all the harps and trumpets and or
gans of earthly music might, in one anthem,
speak his praisel
But what were earthly flowers to him who
walketh amid the snow of the white lilies Of
heavenl What were arches Of earthly ma
sonry to him who hath about his throne a
rainbow spun out of everlasting sunshinel
What were all earthly music to him when
the hundred and forty and four thousand on
one side, and the cherubim, and seraphim,
and archangels stand on the other side, and
all the space between is filed with the dox-
ologies of eternal jubileel-the hosanna of
a redeemed earth, the hallelujah OF unfallen
angels, song after song rising about the
throne of God and of the Lamb. In that
pure, high place, let him hear US. Stop
harps of heaven, that our poor cry may be
heard.
Oh, my Lord Jesusl it will not hurt thee
for one hour to step out from the shining
throng. They win make it all up when thou
goest back again. Come hither, o Blessed
One, that we may kiss thy feet. Our hearts,
too long withheld, we now surrender into
thy keeping. When thou goest back, tell II
to all the immortals that the lost are found,
and let thy Fathers house ring with the
music and the dance.
They have some old wine in heaven, not
used except in rare festivities. In this world,
those who are accustomed to use wine on
great occasions bring out the beverage and
say, "This wine is thirty years old, or forty
years old" But the wine of heaven is more
than eighteen centuries old It was pre-
pared at the time when Christ trod the wine
press alone. When such grievous sinners as
we come back, methinks the chamberlain OF
heaven cries out to the servants, This is un.
usual joyl Bring up from the vaults of hea-
ven that old wine. Fill all the tankards.
Let all the white robed guests drink to the
immortal health of those new born sons and
daughters of the Lord Almighty" There Is
one sinner that repenteth; and God grant
that that one may be youl
Again, in order to have a right heart II
must be forgiving heart An old writer
says: ITO render good for evil is God like;
good for good is man like; evil for good devil
like" Which of these natures have wei
Christ viii have nothing to do with US as
long as we keep any old grudge. We have
all been cheated and lied about. There are
people who dislike us SO much that If we
should come down TO poverty and disgrace,
they would say. 'tGood for himl Didn't
tell you soT' They never have understood
US, and never viii They do not understand
US. Unsanctified human nature says, Wait
till you get a good crack at him. and when al
last you find him in a tight place, give It to
him. Flay him alive No quarter. Leave
not rag of reputation. Jump on him with
both feet Pay him in his own coin-sarcasn
for sarcasm, scorn for scorn, abuse for abuse
But, my friends, that is not the right kind oi
heart. No man ever did so mean a thing
toward us as we have done toward God
And If we cannot forgive others, how can w
expect God to forgive us2 Thousands Of mer
have been kept out Of heaven by an un6or
| giving heart.
Here is some one who says, 81 will forgive
that man the wrong he did me about that
house and lot; win forgive that man wh6
overreached me in bargain; will forgivt
that man who sold me a shoddy overcoat;
| forgive them-all but one That man / can
not forgive. The villain-I can hardly keel
my hands Off Of him II my going to HEAVIER
depends on my forgiving him, then vii
stay OUT Wrong feelingl II a man lie Il
me once, 1 am not called to trust him again
| IL man betray me once, am pot ca)led x
| put confidence in him again. But would
| have no rest If could not offer a sincerI
prayer for the temporal and everlasting wei
fare Of all men, whatever meannes
and outrage they have inflicted upor
me- II you want to get your hear
/ right, strike match and burn up all you
/ old grudges and blow the ashes away. 81
/ you forgive not men their trespasses, neithel
win your heavenly Father forgive you you
trespasses An old Christian black woman
was going along the streets Of New Yorl
with basket Of apples that she had for sale
! A rough sailor ran against her and upset tn
L n. -